


but on a wednesday in a cafe (I watched it begin again)

by iknowplaces



Category: Glee
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Music, Quinn's a musician, coffee shop AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-31
Updated: 2020-05-31
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:34:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,735
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24465058
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/iknowplaces/pseuds/iknowplaces
Summary: Her pleasant appreciation of the coffee shop grows when sure enough, a girl makes her way onto the stage, carrying an acoustic guitar, settling onto the stool placed on the stage. A small smile slides onto her face as she adjusts her glasses and looks out onto the audience, “Hi, I’m Quinn, and if you don’t mind, I’m gonna play you a few songs,” she says, shifting her hands into a playing position on her guitar, “this is Someone New by Hozier.”orRachel Berry happens upon a coffee shop and enjoys a performance from none other than Quinn Fabray
Relationships: Rachel Berry/Quinn Fabray, Sam Evans/Jesse St. James
Comments: 12
Kudos: 132





	but on a wednesday in a cafe (I watched it begin again)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [inimitabler](https://archiveofourown.org/users/inimitabler/gifts).



> hey! this is a short little au where the girls meet at a coffee shop and Quinn's a cool musician who blows Rachel's socks off. I hope you like it. I wrote this for my friend's birthday, so Sham, I hope you like it the most. Everyone wish them a happy birthday!!!!
> 
> The title comes from Begin Again by Taylor Swift, I don't own that song, any of the glee characters or plotlines mentioned, and I don't own any of the songs referenced either!

Rachel wishes she wasn’t here right now. She had a million things to do in New York, homework for her playwriting class, a script to memorize for a student film she was doing, but somehow she’d found herself at Yale, all because her best friend had wanted to talk to some guy that lived here. Jesse had claimed he didn’t wanna ride the train alone, and would need his wingwoman, but had ditched her the second they arrived to go find the gorgeous guy he’d been talking to. That left Rachel unsure what she was going to do until their train was scheduled to leave. 

She luckily could access her homework on her phone, so it seemed like finding somewhere to work would be the best bet. It shouldn’t be too hard, she was on a university campus after all. Turns out, not far from the train station, was a quaint little coffee shop, one that looked perfect for her to get some work done.    
  
Shuffling in, she unzips her jacket and sits in the corner, not far from what appeared to be a stage. Rachel wondered if live music would be playing. She’d never say no to music, unless the singer was dreadfully bad. She figured they wouldn’t hire someone awful though, so she would be delighted to hear someone play. She orders a latte, and is pleased to see they have a vegan cookie option. Seems like she came to the right place after all, even if Jesse had forced her out of her own home for no reason. 

Her pleasant appreciation of the coffee shop grows when sure enough, a girl makes her way onto the stage, carrying an acoustic guitar, settling onto the stool placed on the stage. A small smile slides onto her face as she adjusts her glasses and looks out onto the audience, “Hi, I’m Quinn, and if you don’t mind, I’m gonna play you a few songs,” she says, shifting her hands into a playing position on her guitar, “this is Someone New by Hozier.”

Immediately, Rachel becomes enraptured. The girl, Quinn, is good. She’s a little sharp at times, but Rachel barely notices, completely wrapped up in her sweet alto. It doesn’t hurt that she’s absolutely gorgeous as well. Blonde hair hangs just above her shoulders, glasses sit right over pretty hazel eyes. She smiles as she sings, a talent Rachel knows is tricky to master, and it makes Rachel’s stomach flip like she’s riding loop after loop on the world’s longest roller coaster. Quinn is gorgeous, and when she sings, Rachel just can’t look away.

She plays a few more songs, Softly by Clairo, In My Head by Maisie Peters, Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations, before she pauses, looking out at the audience, making direct eye contact with Rachel. Her smile widens when she looks at her, and god, butterflies storm in Rachel’s stomach. She smiles right back at Quinn, unable to even hold it back. “One more song before I’m done for the day,” Quinn says, her eyes not leaving Rachel, “this is Death By A Thousand Cuts by Taylor Swift.”

Quinn plays the song with so much emotion, her hands moving adeptly on the strings. Her eyes slide close and Rachel’s upset that Quinn’s no longer looking at her, but she loves to see her get absolutely lost in the music. It’s endearing, she wonders if she looks like that when she falls face first into a performance. She thinks she must. She wonders if it makes anyone’s heart warm the way seeing Quinn made hers. 

She finishes the song with one final note, one final strum, and Rachel immediately starts clapping. She doesn’t know if that’s an appropriate response to someone singing in a coffee shop, but she can’t quite help it. The performance had intrigued her, and she wanted Quinn to know that she liked it. That she loved it. Quinn’s eyes meet hers again, and a blush colours her cheeks as everyone joins in with Rachel’s clapping. She supposes it was good etiquette to clap. Thank God, she wouldn’t want to embarrass herself in front of Quinn. “Thank you,” Quinn says softly into the mic, “I hope you liked it.”

There’s a few cheers and a bit more clapping as Quinn exits the stage, and Rachel realizes for the last probably twenty minutes, she had done none of the homework she so desperately needed to do. Quinn had completely caught her attention, and it seems it wasn’t ending soon, because Quinn was heading her way.   
  
Rachel has a mini moment of panic, smoothing her skirt and attempting to fix her hair. She had to look presentable for this  _ really  _ gorgeous girl with the voice of an angel. “Hi,” Quinn says, as she approaches her, “I’m hoping this isn’t weird, but I obviously saw you while I was performing and wanted to come over.”

Rachel smiles up at her, “No, no, not weird at all, I’m Rachel,” she says, sticking out a hand for Quinn to shake, “I loved your performance, you were wonderful.”

Quinn smiles right back at her, and Rachel is excited to see that smile is even prettier up close. “Thank you Rachel,” Quinn says, “I… I was wondering if I could get you a drink? Maybe a refill of whatever that is?”

Quinn points to the cup, and Rachel nods, lifting it from the table, only to realize it’s still completely full. She really had spent the whole time so engrossed in Quinn’s performance she hadn’t even drank her coffee. How embarrassing. “I’m sorry, it appears I still have a full cup,” she says only a little shyly, “but if you wanted to get your own drink and sit with me for awhile, I think I’d really like that.”

Nodding, Quinn turns away from Rachel, quickly ordering her drink and returning to her. She sits across from Rachel, her hands wrapped tightly around her cup, that smile just threatening to eat up her face. She was  _ so _ pretty. Like probably one of the prettiest people Rachel’s ever seen. Scratch that. The prettiest person she’s ever seen. “So Rachel,” Quinn says, “are you a student at Yale? Because I haven’t seen you around before, not that I guess I would necessarily, since there’s twelve thousand students here, but…”

“No, I’m from New York, I go to NYADA,” Rachel says.

“Wow,” Quinn smirks, “the dramatic arts! Are you any good?”

Rachel grins, always happy to talk about her accomplishments. “Yes, I would consider myself to be quite alright, although I haven’t yet done much other than student films and a few plays at the school.”   
  
“I’m sure you’re great,” Quinn hums, “I study theatre too actually, it’s my minor.”

Rachel has spoken to Quinn for all of five minutes and has only known of her existence for twenty-five, but she thinks she might just be the most perfect person Rachel has ever met. She was gorgeous and talented and liked theatre, and apparently liked Rachel enough to talk to her on a whim. “Oh yeah? And what’s your major?” Rachel asks.

“Creative writing,” Quinn says.

Rachel nearly swoons, because not only was this girl a musician, she had another creative passion. Rachel loved when people had an artistic passion. It was definitely an appealing characteristic to her. If Quinn was a business major or something? Rachel would run for the hills. “Oh, that’s so cool, are you writing anything interesting?” she asks, watching as a blush expands on Quinn’s cheeks.

“Well…” she begins, Rachel tuning in to listen intently. 

Quinn tells her, and Rachel listens, the conversation developing from there. They talk about everything and nothing, they learn they’re both originally from Ohio, Columbus and Lima, they learn they both did glee, probably sang against each other in high school. Rachel doesn’t even notice the time passing until her phone vibrates. Jesse.  _ Rachel where are you? Our train leaves in five minutes.  _

“Oh shit,” Rachel whispers under her breath, standing to collect her things, “I’m sorry Quinn, I have to go, my train is leaving like right away, and I need to get back home.”

“Oh, yeah, of course, bye,” Quinn says, nodding. 

“Goodbye Quinn,” Rachel says, waving, “it was so nice talking to you.”

Quinn nods again, and Rachel just leaves, rushing to get to the train station on time.

She makes it but it isn’t till she’s on the train with Jesse that she realizes she didn’t get Quinn’s number.

///

Rachel mourns not getting Quinn’s number like a bad breakup. 

She curls up in bed watching Funny Girl, eating vegan ice cream like her life depends on it. Quinn had been  _ too  _ perfect. She was too good to be true and Rachel would probably never see her again. It’s Wednesday afternoon, exactly two weeks after she met Quinn when Jesse barges into her room. “We’re going back to Yale,” he says, Rachel can’t help but perk up a bit.

“Why?” she asks, but she’s already standing from the bed, ready to go.

“I’ve got a date with that guy at a nice restaurant in New Haven and you’ve been sad for the last two weeks,” he says, “maybe if you return to the coffee shop she’ll be there again. It’s worth a try.”   


Rachel nods, already looking through her closet for the perfect outfit. If she happens to run into Quinn again, she wants to be totally ready. She wants to look her absolute best.

///

She doesn’t run into Quinn.

Jesse goes on his date, Rachel goes straight to the coffee shop. She sits at the same table, orders the same latte and cookie, and watches the stage with bated breath. Quinn never comes. Some man plays, not as good as Quinn, and Rachel barely pays attention. She just eats her cookie and tries not to pout. She had really wanted to see Quinn.

///

Rachel starts going back to the coffee shop far more often than she should, considering she lives more than three hours away. The good news is Jesse and this new guy, Sam, seem to be getting along, so at least Rachel’s not going alone.    
  
They ride the train there together, they part ways, Jesse out with Sam, Rachel right to the coffee shop, then they ride home. Rachel mopes about not seeing Quinn, and Jesse revels in how good his date with Sam was. It becomes a weekly affair, sometimes more.

Rachel has yet to see Quinn again. 

This Wednesday she sits, working on her lines for a play she was just casted in, and waits. No one plays any music the whole time she does, so she thinks that’s a good sign, perhaps Quinn will be coming in later to play. Rachel just wanted to see her, was that too much to ask? 

The time until her train is quickly ticking away though, no sight of Quinn. If the girl doesn’t show in the next five minutes, Rachel’s going to have to leave, with no number yet again, and she was starting to spend a small fortune on lattes and train tickets. 

She keeps checking the time, not wanting it to be over, her eyes darting between the door and the clock on her phone. God, if a miracle could happen right now, Rachel would never complain about anything ever again. 

And her miracle happens, just not in the way she was asking for. She’s cutting it down to the wire, mere minutes until her train leaves, when Quinn enters the coffee shop, looking completely flustered. Her eyes dart around the store, and Rachel stands to meet her, but before she can, Quinn dashes into the back where Rachel assumes she waits before going to the stage. Rachel sighs. She was so close, but she doesn’t have time now to wait for Quinn. She had to go. She literally couldn’t afford to miss her train. 

She was so close but so far. It brings near tears to her eyes as she walks to the train station. She had just missed Quinn. Who knew when her next chance would be? She hates that she has to take the train two hours everyday just to get the chance to see Quinn. Could she not catch a break?

She makes the train just in time, grabbing Jesse’s hand as she spots him on the platform and tugging him onto the train. They settle into the two seats closest to the window, and Rachel tucks his arm around her shoulder, settling into his side. With a dramatic sigh, she peers out the window, watching as they leave Yale behind. “What’s up Rach?” Jesse asks, “you’re uncharacteristically quiet. Was she not there again?”

Rachel shakes her head. “No,” she says, “she was there.”

Jesse lights up. “Rachel! That’s great! Did you finally get her number?” 

“No, she rushed into the back and I had to go,” Rachel states sadly, “I guess she was late or something.”

Rachel tucks herself closer to Jesse, hating the fact that she had missed Quinn again, just by the skin of her teeth. “Aw, I’m sorry,” he says, rubbing his hand up her arm, pausing for a moment, “did you leave your number or something at the counter? Maybe they could’ve given it to her.”

Rachel groans. She hadn’t even thought of that, she’d wanted to see Quinn again, make sure that Quinn also wanted her number, make sure they were on the same page before she gave it to her. She didn’t wanna come off as a weirdo if Quinn hadn’t felt the same way as Rachel did. Though, Rachel is pretty sure Quinn had felt the same way. After all she had wanted to buy Rachel coffee, and there was just a certain spark during their conversation that just made Rachel sure. “No,” she whines, “I didn’t think, I just sulked off, I was upset I missed her again.”

“Sorry Rach,” he says, “but I promise it’ll work out if it’s meant to be.”

Rachel isn’t one to give up hope, but it’s starting to feel like it might not be meant to be.

///

Exactly one week later, Jesse brings his new boyfriend over. Rachel’s a little bothered, she’s still moping from last week, but she can’t blame him for wanting to hang out with Sam, he seems like a really great guy, Rachel just wants to be left alone right now.

It annoys her to enter the common space of their apartment to get a snack and see Jesse curled up with a cute boy. It wasn’t fair. She wanted to be curled up with someone too! “Surprised to see you here, Berry,” Jesse calls from the couch.

“Why?” she asks as she grabs a granola bar from the pantry.

“Well it’s Wednesday I figured you’d be halfway to New Haven by now,” he says, like he hasn’t witnessed her frustrated pouting throughout the week, and her promises to “never go back to that godforsaken coffee shop.”

“I’m not going back,” Rachel says, unwrapping the bar, “I don’t have the money to spend on train tickets every week just to not see Quinn.”

Sam looks up at Rachel, a shocked expression marring his face as he untucks himself from Jesse. “Quinn?” he says, “you’re Rachel?”

“Uh, yes, that is my name, why?”

“Oh my god,” Sam exclaims, “you’re Rachel.”   
  
“Yes babe, that’s who she is, what’s your point?” Jesse asks, his eyebrows drawn in confusion. 

“You went to the coffee shop by the train station in New Haven right? And you met Quinn, blonde girl, pretty hazel eyes, glasses, played the guitar?” Sam says, Rachel nods, “oh my god! She’s my roommate, and my best friend, and she’s been grumbling around the apartment for the last little while because she didn’t get the number of some girl called Rachel who was from New York! You’re Rachel from New York!”

“You know Quinn?” Rachel asks, almost scared to get her hopes up, but she can’t help how her excitement peaks already.

“Yeah! And I know she really liked you,” he says, a smile on his face that Rachel can’t help but mirror.

“This is the best news,” Rachel says, so giddy she was almost jumping. She can’t believe it. Quinn liked her, she wanted her number too, and now Rachel had a way to contact her.

Sam checks his phone then, and his smile widens. “Her set starts at the coffee shop starts at seven, it’s four now, if you hurry you could make it,”

Rachel doesn’t even wait to hear the end of his statement. She just rushes to her room, grabs her things, changes, and goes. She doesn’t have time to dawdle. As she leaves she calls, “Thank you Sam! Bye!” and then she’s gone.

The only obstacle she foresees in this journey is not being able to get a seat on the train that’s leaving soon, but the fates come together, and she gets on the train right before it departs the station. 

She can’t believe this is happening. She feels  _ so  _ grateful Jesse brought his boyfriend home now.

///

Rachel enters the coffee shop as dramatically as possible, this was her romantic comedy movie moment, she was going to live it to the fullest. Sure enough, Quinn sits on the stage, singing what Rachel immediately recognizes as Wouldn’t It Be Nice by the Beach Boys. It feels like she can finally take a breath. She was going to finally get what she’d been wanting for weeks now.

She sits down in the spot she has sat the last few weeks, her eyes pitching right up to Quinn. It takes a few moments, but finally Quinn looks in her direction. Instantly she lights up, so much so she almost loses her place in the music, and Rachel’s heart  _ soars _ . She can barely believe it. Quinn finishes her song, and doesn’t take her eyes from Rachel. “I had a few other plans for songs today, but, uh, I guess this one just feels right, so I’m gonna play Begin Again by Taylor Swift,” she says, launching into the music.

It catches Rachel’s attention, she knows it, and well it seems like Quinn did this for her. Rachel definitely swoons this time. There was nothing like musical flirting. It was her preferred manner of courtship, for sure, and here was Quinn, who by all accounts barely knew her, serenading her with a romantic Taylor Swift song. Rachel thought she was perfect before, but now, now she knew. 

Quinn finishes the song, and Rachel starts clapping, almost involuntarily. Quinn giggles a little, then turns her attention away from Rachel and to the rest of the audience once again. “That’s all for me today,” she says, “hope you all enjoyed it.”

Rachel claps again, less over the top this time, as Quinn packs her guitar and climbs down the stage, straight to her. “Hi,” Rachel greets, and she feels almost awed. 

Quinn bites her bottom lip, looking down and then back up at Rachel, “Hi, uh, Sam texted me that you were coming down,” she says, looking a little shy.

“Oh, I didn’t know, he told me you were playing and I didn’t even think, I just got on the train and left. I wanted to see you,” Rachel says.

Quinn doesn’t say anything for a moment, but her smile widens. “Do you maybe wanna go for a walk? Get some privacy?” she says, and Rachel nods.

A hand is offered to Rachel, and she takes it without hesitation. She’s shocked by how easy their hands fit together, how comfortable it feels. Their hands slide right together, like puzzle pieces interlocking, as cliche as that is. Quinn pulls her out the door, and they walk down the street in silence for a bit. It’s a nice town, and it’s warm, and the silence is comfortable, so Rachel just takes it all in. Eventually she stops, turning to Quinn, meeting those bright hazel eyes. “So I heard you have been, and I quote, grumbling around your apartment because you missed getting the number of a certain girl you met at the coffee shop, I think she was called Rachel from New York?”

Quinn shakes her head. “Did Sam tell you that?” she asks, Rachel nods, “it’s true, I met this girl at the coffee shop a few weeks ago after my set and I thought she was gorgeous, and her personality was just as great, but I didn’t get her number and I was pretty upset about it.”

“Well, I assure you, I was in a similar boat, I met this beautiful blonde who sang like an angel and played the guitar and was interested in theatre, and then I was stupid enough to forget to get her number,” Rachel teases right back.

“You thought I was beautiful?” Quinn retorts, a smile on her face.

“You thought I was gorgeous,”

Quinn pauses. “Rachel, do you wanna go out with me?”

“Yes,” Rachel says, her eyes drifting to Quinn’s lips, full and pink, only inches away from Rachel. All she wanted to do was, “could I… could I kiss you?”

She hates how her voice shakes, she wishes she sounded more confident, but Quinn doesn’t even respond, she just closes the gap. Their lips touch, and it’s a first kiss that’s worthy of the romcom moment Rachel had given herself earlier.

It was a kiss more than worth all the waiting around the coffee shop. Quinn’s lips are soft and taste faintly of vanilla and Rachel thinks that if Quinn’s arms hadn’t wrapped around her waist her knees might’ve buckled and she might’ve toppled right over. But Quinn’s arms anchor her, and she leans right into it. It’s magic, that’s the only way she could describe it.

It takes a while, but Quinn pulls away, her eyes alight with something Rachel can only describe as joy, and a lot of attraction. “Wow,” Quinn whispers, under her breath, “do you think I could get your number now?”

Rachel laughs, and Quinn joins right in. Her laugh is gorgeous, contagious in a way that makes Rachel giggle that much more as she nods. With that joke and that perfect kiss, from Quinn, Rachel knows that Jesse was right. It would work out if it was meant to be, and this had to be destined. 

**Author's Note:**

> hope you liked it kudos and comments are always appreciated


End file.
